EMORY, Va. – The Concord University Football Team (1-0) scored the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter and held on for a 27-20 win against Emory & Henry College (0-1) Saturday afternoon. It was the first meeting between the two teams since the 1981 season and marked the sixth-straight win for the Mountain Lions over the Wasps.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Concord 27, Emory & Henry 20
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Nicewonder Field at Fred Selfe Stadium
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (0-1, 0-0 SAC); Concord (1-0, 0-0 MEC)
How It Happened
Concord took the opening kickoff and went straight down the field, scoring a touchdown in the first 1:12 of the contest. Jack Mangel hit Cayden Chambers with a 40-yard catch-and-run for the 7-0 lead.
Late in the quarter, E&H closed the gap to 7-3 on a 20-yard field goal by freshman Trace Butcher (Dacula, Ga.).
The Wasps took a 10-7 lead with 5:38 in the second when junior quarterback Kyle Short (Lebanon, Ohio) connected with fifth-year wide receiver Kashawn Cosey (Chattanooga, Tenn.) on a 10-yard pass over the middle. After forcing a three-and-out on the next series, the E&H special teams came up big as junior defensive back Addison Knicely (Mount Crawford, Va.) recovered a fumble on a mishandled snap by the punter in the end zone for a touchdown and a 17-7 advantage.
The Mountain Lions answered immediately, with Kris Copeland taking the ensuing kickoff 96 yards to paydirt. The point-after attempt was no good as CU closed the gap to 17-13. With 28 seconds to go before halftime, Concord went ahead 20-17 on a 25-yard pass from Mangel to Jarod Bowie down the left side.
In the third, The Wasps drove to the CU one yardline but were denied access to the end zone on fourth and one. After another three-and-out by Concord, Emory & Henry went down the field, again reaching the red zone. The drive stalled however, and Butcher tied things up with a 22-yard field goal, 20-20, with 2:38 to go in the period.
Concord came out on the next drive, going down the field 62 yards in 10 plays to gain a 27-20 lead on a one-yard plunge by Copeland with 13:03 to play. The two squads traded punts through the middle of the fourth and the Mountain Lions saw their attempt to seal the game stuffed on fourth-and-one near midfield.
With 1:25 on the clock, Emory & Henry had its chance to tie or take the lead, but was unable to get the ball moving. After a turnover on downs with 58 seconds remaining, Concord was able to kneel out the contest for the 27-20 win.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
Short went 17-for-25 through the air for 163 yards and a touchdown, finding four different receivers.
Kosey led the way with seven receptions for 40 yards and a touchdown while junior wide receiver Tmahdae Penn (Martinsville, Va.) hauled in five catches for 77 yards and junior wideout Jermawn Ford (District Heights, Md.) grabbed four passes for 39 yards.
Senior running back Grayson Overstreet (Moneta, Va.) rushed 29 times for 87 yards in his return after missing the 2021 season with an injury to lead the Wasps' ground game.
Defensively, Knicely notched eight tackles, two passes defended and a quarterback hurry in addition to his special teams touchdown. Fifth-year linebacker Ivan Phillips (Kingsport, Tenn.) went for seven stops while senior defensive lineman Jay Swegheimer (Orlando, Fla.) and redshirt freshman linebacker A.J. Burgess (Roxboro, N.C.) tacked on six tackles each.
Concord Individual Leaders
Mengel threw for 208 yards and two touchdowns on 18-for-28 passing, as Bowie had six catches for 96 yards and a score. Chambers finished the game with two receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown,
Thurlow Wilkins notched 48 rushing yards to lead the Mountain Lions but Copeland's 22 yards on the ground and 34 yards through the air were instrumental in the victory.
Ty Maust led all players with 10 tackles as Tylen Fowler and Davon Williams each made seven stops with Fowler notching a pair of tackles for loss. Marcellus Saint and Rashon Lusane each added six tackles.
A Deeper Look
Emory & Henry notched 262 yards of total offense, gaining 163 yards through the air and 99 yards on the ground while Concord earned their 273 yards of offense with 208 passing yards and 65 rushing yards. The Mountain Lions tallied 17 first downs to the Wasps' 15.
E&H converted five-of-15 third down attempts and one-of-three fourth down changes while CU was only able to manage a 3-for-10 third-down conversion margin and lost both of their opportunities on fourth down.
The Wasps held the ball for nearly 37 minutes and controlled the tempo for much of the game. Early season discipline did not hamper either team with a total of 14 penalties for 90 yards in the contest.
Up Next
Emory & Henry will be on the road next week when it visits Bluefield University. Kickoff between the Wasps and Rams will be at Mitchell Stadium at 6:00 p.m.
---E&H---